The search for a two-year-old Myanmar boy who went missing nine days ago ended in tragedy on Tuesday after his body was found 5 kilometres from a sugarcane plantation in Suphan Buri province.

Officials began scouring the 200-rai plantation on December 17 after his parents, who are Myanmar workers in the area, alerted the police of his disappearance. Locals, border patrol police and soldiers helped with the search, especially since his disappearance became national news due to his age.

Initially, Suphan Buri Governor Nimit Wanchaithanawong suspected that young Sului Piew was kidnapped and taken out of the area after a search mission involving 300 people over the weekend came up empty-handed.